Urinary catheters are used as a tool assisting in the draining of the urinary bladder of persons that have reduced or non-existing bladder control. The reduced or non-existing bladder control may either be temporary or permanent, where a temporary loss of bladder control may be caused by for example trauma, loss of consciousness or illness. An example of a permanent loss of bladder control may be where a loss of a neural connection between the brain or spinal cord and the urinary bladder occurs due to a trauma to the spinal cord, as is often the case with para- and tetraplegics.
One example of a urinary catheter which is widely used for draining urine from the urinary bladder, is where a catheter tube is inserted into the urethra of a user and where the tip of the catheter tube is manoeuvred into the urinary bladder, forcing the urethral sphincter open and thus providing a drainage channel from the urinary bladder and out of the body, via the catheter tube. There are two types of catheters which are commonly used, the permanent catheter and the intermittent catheter. The permanent catheter is a highly flexible catheter which is inserted by medical professionals into the body for a long period of time, up to 12 weeks, and where the catheter is anchored inside the bladder. The intermittent catheter is usually a single use catheter or a multiple use catheter, which is inserted by the user into the urethra/bladder for the immediate drainage of their urinary bladder and is removed from the urethra/bladder following the drainage. The following disclosure will primarily be concentrated on the intermittent urinary catheter.